Getty Matisse Thybulle #22 of the Philadelphia 76ers.
It might not be June, but the Philadelphia 76ers are on the clock nonetheless, with a critical decision looming for Matisse Thybulle. The Sixers have until 6 PM EST Monday to sign Thybulle to a rookie extension; if not, the former Washington Huskie becomes a restricted free agent next summer.
Thybulle is a defensive ace, coming off a second-straight All-Defense Second Team nod. But he’s far from the three-and-D wing that Philadelphia hoped he might eventually develop into when they took him with the 20th pick in the 2019 draft. During last year’s playoffs, Thybulle was virtually unplayable — part because of his unvaccinated status that left him out of the team’s games in Toronto. But when Thybulle was eligible to play, his emptiness on offense essentially created four-on-five offenses, with opposing defenses able to shade off of the Sixers’ wing.
But despite those offensive shortcomings, the Sixers are still looking to keep Thybulle in Philadelphia. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the Sixers recently held extension talks with Thybulle’s team.
“The Philadelphia 76ers have recently held brief conversations on the possibility of a rookie-scale contract extension for elite defensive guard Matisse Thybulle, league sources told Yahoo Sports.”
Over the summer, Thybulle admitted that his future in Philadelphia is up in the air, but reiterated his main goal is to be a Sixers lifer.
Thybulle: ‘I Would Always Want to Stay in Philly’
Ahead of training camp, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer published an interview with Thybulle. The pair talked about expectations this season, as well as the lack of a three-point-shooting elephant in the room. While Thybulle believes he can improve with time, he hopes that time is spent in the City of Brotherly Love.
“‘At this point, I would always want to stay in Philly,’ he said. ‘And if it’s up to me, that’s always going to be my choice,’” Pompey wrote on September 25.
“But considering that I’ve realized the reality of how far out of my control it is, if I do get traded or something does end up happening, I can look at myself in the mirror at the end of the day.”
Who wouldn’t want to finish their career in Philadelphia, especially this Sixers team? Joel Embiid projects to be really good for a really long time. Tyrese Maxey might be singlehandedly expanding Philadelphia’s playoff window. James Harden and PJ Tucker provide some experience (and age).
But is Thybulle worth whatever Philadelphia has to pay out to keep him in town?
Thybulle Must Prove Himself for the 76ers First
We have to start with the premise that Thybulle isn’t a playoff basketball player. At least not yet. His play is fun/tolerable for the regular season, but come playoff time, his poor performances simply don’t merit an extension.
Way too much is made of Thybulle’s defensive accolades when talking about his next contract.
Only reason he gets All-Defensive votes is because Sixers had a crippling lack of depth. On a well-constructed team (i.e. this year’s Sixers) he doesn’t play enough to get those votes.
The Sixers also used Thybulle sparingly this preseason, which doesn’t bode well for his playing time during the regular season. The wing didn’t share any playing time with the starting five and didn’t check in until after halftime.
Last season, Thybulle was a starter for a depleted Sixers roster. This season? It could be a very different story, with Thybulle potentially a strong trade deadline candidate.